DETROIT - Chrysler says its U.S. sales rose 14 per cent last month as the Ram pickup truck had its best August in five years.

The results are a sign that car and truck sales will remain strong despite consumers' worries about the economy.

Chrysler says it sold more than 148,000 vehicles in August. It sold more than 25,000 Ram pickups, an increase of 19 per cent over August of last year.

Industry analysts are predicting U.S. sales of more than 1.2 million vehicles for August, up around 20 per cent from a year earlier. The annual pace is expected to reach 14.2 million to 14.5 million vehicles, making August the second-best month of the year.